2010. Herion is an Italian trio whose members include Emanuele Errante (known to Hypnos customers for Humus on Evan Bartholomew's Somnia label), Enrico Coniglio (Aqua Dorsa project collaborator with Oophoi for the album Cloudlands, he also released Sea Cathedrals solo on Silentes), and Elisa Marzorati.

They've created a beautiful and compelling combination of delicate musical structures with "glitch" components and strange, experimental little samples. Always a pleasant, peaceful listen, Out and About brings a blissed-out classical musicality into connection with an artful edge. This combination of elements results in an especially sensitive, moving set of mood pieces. Somewhere between chamber music and minimalism, between lightness and melancholy, this trio balances elements uncommon in ambient music.

Pre-release review by Michael Vitrano for Fluid Radio:"Emanuele Errante, Enrico Coniglio, and Elisa Marzorati have created a wonderful album that moves right to the soul of the listener. While I was familiar with Emanuele Errante, who released the excellent Humus album on Somnia in 2008, the other performers were a mystery to me. Marzorati’s piano motifs, mixed with Coniglio's multi-faceted contributions involving melodica, harmonica, and treated guitar, all meld beautifully with Errante's orchestral arrangements."

Hypnos is very pleased to release the first album this this trio. Out and About is not only a departure in terms of sound, but is also the Hypnos label's first release in digipak format. Here are pictures to give a sense of the package. See below for sample audio clips in mp3 format.

We've added OUT AND ABOUT to amazon.com so for those of you shopping there (though the discs will still be sent from here so it's probably advantageous for everyone if just order direct from our store...) the listing will be active soon.

I wanted to make sure I gave this album a number of spins before commenting, plus its always a strange balancing act to review a CD on label, when you yourself are on the label as well, but anyway...in simple terms, I freaking love this cd. It is one of the few new ambient albums in the past 3 or 4 years to truly grab my attention and excite me.

When I hear discs like this I start feeling like ambient/space/electronic music is actually vital again.

OK so why?

Well for me this disc combines 3 key elements that I find essential for me as both a musician and a music fan.

1. The music acknowledges tradition

In other words, this CD moves back to and hints at the paradigms set up by early EM pioneers like Eno. It also hints at older minimalist classical works like the old school electronic music practice of not creating electronic music with synthesizers, but instead using electronics and effects to make acoustic instruments sound electronic.

It moves nicely beyond the stereotypical drone and reverb drenched "same old same old" that has been dominating our genre for the better part of the decade.

All of this to say that this CD has a healthy dose of retro coolness to it without being copy catish, and that is what makes it sound fresh and modern.

2. Its real

Again, I love the fact that these are real acoustic instruments for the most part.

This also means that microphones and "air" where involved. This was a recording project, not simply an in the box capture and render project. For me this adds a vibe and space to this album that would not be possible with soft synths, loops and or samples. Not that those types of records cant be done well, it just allows this one to be set apart into a different sonic landscape.

Also, these are real players/musicians and as such this album has a language to it that would have been harder to achieve with programing, again another one of its unique points for me.

3. Tradition be damned

Similar to part 1, but this is just a good cd of (capital M) Music that happens to be ambient and spacious with twinges of processing and treatments, rather than being an ambient or space music album.

Ok, so is it perfect? I am not saying this is the greatest album of all time or anything like that, but man is this a breath of fresh air and nice new avenue for Hypnos and our genre in general.

I know nothing about the musicians on this recording, but Nice Job guys!!!

Paul

Logged

"I liken good ambient to good poetry ... enjoyable, often powerful, and usually unpopular" APK

Mike, thank you for the podcast and shame on me that I have been overlooking this release until now. I only have to agree with yours and Paul's words, a really beautiful, tranquil and quite unique piece of music during these days within ambient genre (nice digipak too!!!). A very peaceful and graceful sonic journey to calm the mind. Definitely on my upcoming Hypnos shopping list!!!

Yes, also Enrico's co-work with Oophoi, Aqua Dorsa was really exceptional piece of music. Mike, maybe you should think about bringing into Hypnos store few other Enrico's releases, most of them dedicated and influenced by the magical city of Venice and its lagoon. Much more eclectic than "Out and About" or "Cloudlands" for example, but worth of attention.

The end of the year could not have bring more beautiful album than Herion's "Out and About". Paul has already expressed his feelings on this CD, so I hope I won't bother you too much with my feelings even if I am not a reviewer nor musician, just a big fan and collector...

Herion "Out And About" CD

For me, this is like "dreams came true" project, because it features Enrico Coniglio and Emanuele Errante who are resoponsible for some remarkable ambient solo albums released during the last few years, with some guest appearances of Elisa Marzorati, highly respected pianist. Now these three extremely talented musicians are teamed up in Herion project and landing on Hypnos. You can't go wrong with that, but I think this collaboration was as much exciting and challenging also for Hypnos as it marks new direction for this label thanks to Herion's ambient strongly influenced by classical music with the use of many acoustic instruments. Even if quite new territory to Hypnos, it fits more than perfectly to them. Thanks to virtuosity of all three members plus highly notable performance on viola by Piergabriele Mancuso, "Out And About" is absolutely beautiful, evocative, intimate and warm collection of compositions masterfully bridging filigree acoustics with gentle amount of electronics and field recordings. Perfectly crafted in every detail and even if quite minimalistic at times, always very expressive and effective in keeping the attention of each listener during the each of 46 minutes. The opening "Oxg" immediately elevates the album into untouchable heights and will never step down during the next 9 compositions. Absolutely splending mix of piano, viola, harmonica, melodica, rainstick with some synthesized sounds. Angelic beauty is not measurable, but it's certainly called "Oxg". Just the same could be said on melancholic "Lindos". Dreamy "Cab", "One Minute After The Sunset" and "The Earth" recall all your hidden memories while "Moske Orgulje" and "The Hanging Glacier" get more darker and tense. Cheerful "Two Minutes To Sunrise" and moody "Risvegli" and "Solo" close the album with all their tranquillity. I already used a lot of superlatives, but I still don't get enough when listening to this sonic pleasure, Herion can be easily described after Suspended Memories as another "Ambient Supergroup" and Emanuele Errante, Enrico Coniglio and Elisa Marzorati are the rising stars of ambient genre and bringing some new fresh wind to it. A pure masterwork!!!

My copy came in the mail Monday and I brought it to work, where it has practically been playing non-stop. It's "only" 46 minutes long, but seems to pass by in 20. I just keep starting it up again. It's very "transparent" and maintains a consistent album "feel" without becoming repetitive. I think that Lynn will really like this one - but I'm reluctant to bring it home now.

I'm also very happy with the cover. The photography and colour treatment really suit the feel of the music, and it has a spine - A SPINE!!!! - with correctly oriented, legible printing. Once finally filed, it will be found to be played again and again. Congratulations Mike & Lena. It's a SPINE!